Quantitative Dynamic Analysis of de novo Sphingolipid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Sphingolipids are pivotal for plant development and stress responses. Growing interest has been directed towards fully comprehending the regulatory mechanisms of the sphingolipid pathway. We explore its de novo biosynthesis and homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana cell cultures, shedding light on fundamental metabolic mechanisms. Employing ¹⁵N isotope labeling and quantitative dynamic modeling approach, we developed a regularized and constraint-based Dynamic Metabolic Flux Analysis (r-DMFA) framework to predict metabolic shifts due to enzymatic changes. Our analysis revealed key enzymes such as sphingoid-base hydroxylase (SBH) and long-chain-base kinase (LCBK) to be critical for maintaining sphingolipid homeostasis. Disruptions in these enzymes were found to affect cellular viability and increase the potential for programmed cell death (PCD). Thus, this work enhances our understanding of sphingolipid metabolism and demonstrates the utility of dynamic modeling in analyzing complex metabolic pathways.